Jerry's wife, Shirley, tells us ... he died Friday afternoon at their Arkansas ranch with her by his side. She says they were involved in a car accident over 2 years ago ... and Jerry's health had deteriorated since.

We're told Dick visited them at the ranch over the Christmas holiday.

A beloved comedian just like his brother, Jerry pursued stand-up as a young man and performed at military bases around the world. He made his acting debut on "The Dick Van Dyke" show and followed that up with appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" before becoming a regular on "The Judy Garland Show."

Jerry's wife, Shirley, tells us ... he died Friday afternoon at their Arkansas ranch with her by his side. She says they were involved in a car accident over 2 years ago ... and Jerry's health had deteriorated since.

We're told Dick visited them at the ranch over the Christmas holiday.

A beloved comedian just like his brother, Jerry pursued stand-up as a young man and performed at military bases around the world. He made his acting debut on "The Dick Van Dyke" show and followed that up with appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" before becoming a regular on "The Judy Garland Show."

I keep putting Dick Van Dyke in my celebrity death pool every year. So close.

But in all seriousness, I hope Dick lives many more years. Watched the Dick Van Dyke show and many of his movies repeatedly when I was a kid. My favorite was Lt Robin Crusoe. I think he's one of the most talented entertainers in the history of ever.